New Ranking Turns Heat Up On Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is returning to Eugene for another season, ending speculation about whether he would declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore, projected as an early first-round pick, chose to come back to refine his game before taking the next step to the NFL.

His return sets high expectations, with Moore widely regarded as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. On3’s J.D. Pickell ranks him No. 1 among college quarterbacks for the 2026 season.

Dante Moore Ranked as No. 1 College Quarterback for 2026

Oregon Ducks Dante Moore College Football Quarterback Rankings NFL Draft Projection Fernando Mendoza Rankings 2026 Season — Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

J.D PicKell revealed on On3 that his top 10 quarterbacks he was ranking are based off what he thinks they are going to be.

“This is not a current ranking. If we were doing a current ranking of what these quarterbacks are right now, this list would probably look a little bit different,” PicKell said. “These are early projections for these quarterbacks.”

Here are PicKell’s top 10:

1. Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns
4. Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech Red Raiders
5. Josh Hoover, Indiana Hoosiers
6. CJ Carr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7. Darian Mensah, Miami Hurricanes
8. Sam Leavitt, LSU Tigers
9. Gunner Stockton, Georgia Bulldogs
10. Jayden Maiava, USC Trojans

Dante Moore is coming off a terrific 2025 season. In his first year as a starter with the Ducks, Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was a big part of leading Oregon to an 11-1 record in the regular season and making the College Football Playoff semifinal, a place Oregon had not been since the 2014 season.

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Pressure on Moore, Ducks in 2026?

With Moore’s return does come high expectations for him and the Ducks. Entering the season, Moore will likely be the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. If he takes a step back, his stock could fall dramatically.

Just looking at last season, the quarterbacks’ that were viewed as the top prospects were LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar, and Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. All three of them had struggles and are nowhere near being considered a top pick. Manning even came back to Texas.

Meanwhile, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza came into the 2025 season well behind all of them in quarterback ranks, but played outstanding during Indiana’s undefeated run to winning the national championship. All signs now point to the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.

While there is pressure on Moore to keep improving and not fall in the draft, there is also pressure on Oregon to maximize the time they have with him. It’s not everyday a quarterback considered to be a top three draft pick decides to forgo the pros and come back for an extra year.

Oregon has yet to win a national championship in program history. Bringing back an elite quarterback with offensive weapons such as wide receiver Dakorien Moore, running back Jordon Davison, and running back Dierre Hill Jr. is a huge boost. The Ducks should be able to make a playoff push. This time they hope to get over the hump.